The Sten gun is a classic firearm from World War II. It was issued to the British army in 1941 and throughout the War over 4 million were made. What sets them apart from their German sub-machine gun counterparts is their simplicity and ease-of-production. During the Battle of Britain, the country was in great demand for firearms. They would buy all the Thompson machine guns they could get from the United States, but demand was greater than the supply. As a result, the Sten was born.
The Sten Mk. II, simplicity by design. (note, missing trigger mechanism cover in this image.)
The gun fires the popular 9x19 mm Parabellum cartridge- the same round which the German MP-40 fired - making captured German ammunition interchangeable. This was especially important for resistance troops. The magazine had a 32-round capacity and British paratroopers each carried 7 of them, giving a total of 224 rounds per man.
Many soldiers and resistance troops held the gun by its magazine during firing, but this is actually an improper method and could cause a misfire. The best way to hold a Sten is shown by Winston Churchill below:
Winston Churchill holding a Sten gun- 13 June 1941.
Firing at a rate of 500 to 600 rounds a minute, it allowed little recoil which made it relatively controllable on full automatic fire. However, don't expect to hit targets beyond 100 meters with this gun. It was made for room clearing and close quarter combat.
Worker posing with Sten Mk. II in the factory. 26 May 1942.
It used minor welding and simple stamped metal components, allowing minimal manufacturing and machining. The most basic model, the Mk III, could be manufactured in just 5 man-hours of work. It had rudimentary safety, making it prone to accidental discharges.
Thousands of Sten guns were dropped to resistance groups, often in parts. Many resistance groups even manufactured the guns themselves in illegal workshops. It's basically a metal tube, a barrel, a spring, a bolt, a simple stock and a trigger mechanism. While not pretty, the Sten gun served its purpose well.
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